Means for heating hotbeds.



PATENTED FEBQZI, 1905` A. n C. DE MEYERB.

MEANS POR HEATING HOTBEDS. APPLICATION FILED DEO. 12. 1901. xmmwsn 0015.26, 1903.

V2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

7W and vl N NUI l/ PATBNTED FEB. 21, 1905.

Al & G. DE MEYERB. MEANS FOR HEATING HOTBEDS. APPLIOATION FILED 1130.12. 1901. mmwnn 00T. 2e, laos.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT Orricn.

AMAND DE MEYERE AND CHARLES DE MEYERE, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

MEANS FOR HEATING HOTBEDS.

SPECIFICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,182, dated February 21, 1905. Application tiled December 12, 1901. Renewed October 26, 1903. Serial No. 178,640.

T0 all whom llt may con/cern,.-

Be it known that we, AMAND DE MEYERE and CHARLES DE MEYERE, subjects of the King of the Belgians, and residents of Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to the Means for Heating Hotbeds for Horticultural or Like Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to means for heating hotbeds for horticultural or like purposes, its main object being to heat such beds more equally throughout than is possible with any system of or appliances for heating such beds hitherto .adopted or in use. For this purpose our invention consists, broadly, in causing hot water to circulate comparatively rapidly in or along channels or ducts by admitting steam thereinto, the said steam serving also to carry with it the water during its circula` tion. Further, by means of our invention air will be caused to percolate or filter through the hotbed, to the benefit of the plants therein.

A method of carrying our invention into practice is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows our invention in sectional plan view. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section thereof. Fig. 4 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section, the view being from thefopposite end to that shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section showing a device for maintaining any desired water-level within the ducts. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of part of Fig. 6, showing the pipe X provided with the adjustable sleeve Y.

The hotbed, properly so called, is constructed of brickwork in any suitable and usual manner, and its dimensions may be any which are found to be most suitable, although we find that the following dimensionsare well adapted for our purposes-viz., about eightythree feet long, five feet three inches wide, and two feet six inches high. This bricked bed is filled up to a sufficient depth with wellrammed earth, and on this earth we put a Lroses a into the water.

layer or course of cement, so as to form an impermeable bed c, said bed, together with the outer walls or sides M N, forming a basin of suitable dimensions. Said basin is divided into two parts by a central wall or partition m', each of which parts is again subdivided by walls or partitions m into two channels or ducts l 2, about as shown in plan view in F ig. 1, the walls m being shorter than the walls N, so that a suflicient space or opening is left bctween each end of said partition-walls m and the outer end walls M. The channels thus formed are then well cemented, so as to render all the surfaces completely water-tight. One end of each of the channels l is closed by a partition b, in which we fix or build nozzles or roses a, which are connected at their stems (which stems are formed with apertures for the purpose hereinafter described) with steampipes T, the latter being again connected to a steam-supply pipe T, cocks fr enabling the amount of steam admitted to the roses to be regulated.. The ducts or channels 1 2 are'lled with water, and steam is turned on, which latter will pass out through the apertures in the The rushing in of the steam will cause the water to move forward, the water being at the same time heated by the steam which is condensed. As the water is driven forward in the ducts 1 that in the ducts 2 enters the apertures referred to in the stems of the roses and is there carried with the steam and forced through the nozzles a, this action being similar to that of an injector. As this circulation is in progress each portion of the water becomes gradually heated by reason of its absorbing the heat of the steam, and as the circulation is comparatively rapid there is after a time very little difference in the temperature of the water at any part of its travel. The bed and the partition and outer walls will be also gradually warmed or heated, and when the circulation has been in progress a -suiicient llength of time the whole will be of almost equal temperature. i v

Over the ducts or channels we build or provide a covering cl, of earthenware slabs or equivalent, on which the hotbed (composed of earth, cinders, and other usual matter) is placed and which is heated by the steam in the usual manner described.

As the volume o water will after a time be greater than the capacity of the channels or ducts, due to the in zrease by the condensation of the steam, we provide simple means for permitting the excess to run off. -For this purpose we provide an overflow-tube X, passing through the wall N and provided on its outer end with a sleeve Y, adapted to be adjusted vertically, so that the depth of the water within the ducts can be regulated by4 merely raising or lowering said sleeve, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 6.

As the water is heated air contained therein will be liberated and will rise upward, passing through the joints in the covering CZ until it ultimately percolates through the earth forming the hotbed, which is of very great benefit to the plants growing therein.

Further advantages appertaining to our invention are simplicity of construction of the apparatus. The heating' is effected gradually and eq ually throughout. When the whole body has been heated tothe required temperature, it is only necessary to turn o the steam, and on account of the bulk of the whole, the

hotbed will be maintained hot for a long time after the steam is shut off.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A heating apparatus for hotbeds, consisting in combination of outer walls M, N, inclosing' well-rammed earth, a bed c `on said earth, a partition-wall m running centrally between the walls N, further dividing-walls m parallel to but shorter than the walls N, m and forming ducts l, 2, partitions I) having fixed therein nozzles a the stems of which are formed with apertures, a steam-pipe T connected to said stems and having cocks r, a covering over said ducts 1, 2 consisting of slabs and adapted to carry the hotbed, and an over- How-ppe X having a sleeve Y, all for the purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

AMAND DE MEYERE. CHARLES DE MEYERE.

Witnesses:

C. Sci-IER, GREGORY PHELAN. 

